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The Ethics of Assisted Suicide: Michigan v. Kevorkian (2002)

Creator

Unknown creator

Bibliographic Citation

Choices, Inc.; Amazon.com

Abstract

"He became known as 'the suicide doctor' and 'Dr. Death', and controversy followed him everywhere. Dr. Jack Kevorkian believed that terminally ill people had the right not only to die, but also to have the assistance of a physician in doing so. Some people saw him as an angel of mercy and others considered him little better than a killer. Kevorkian's mission to legalize assisted suicide landed him in many courtrooms--and eventually led to his conviction and imprisonment for murder." [description taken from cassette box] A study guide for this program is available from Choices, Inc. At http://www.choicesvideo.net/guidebooks/WAV/landmarktrialsofmodern ethicskavorkian.pdf. This guide is housed with the video in the NRCBL collection. "New conditions bring new choices. Today, advances in technology and changing social norms force us to confront ethical issues that rarely arose in the past. Sophisticated medical devices can keep a patient alive in ways that were once impossible. But what if a patient--or a patient's family--doesn't wish these mechanisms to be used? Another concern involves the end of life-- who decides when it occurs? If a terminally ill person chooses to die, does that person deserve medical assistance? Or how far can a child go when he believes his parents are abusive? Very often, such delicate questions must be decided in court. LANDMARK TRIALS OF MODERN ETHICS explores some of these remarkable cases." [description taken from cassette box]